The term “shingle style” may bring to mind sprawling seaside mansions but architects like Bruce Price and John Calvin Stevens often applied the style on a far more modest scale. At just over 1500 square feet, Fish Creek Pond works perfectly as either a low-maintenance starter home or a charming vacation cottage. While Fish Creek Pond is shown here on a third of an acre, it works equally well on even tighter suburban lots or on expansive wooded properties.

Many small houses are divided into a maze of dark, cramped rooms but the heart of this home is a large multi-purpose great room with big windows on all four sides. At the rear, a sunny built-in dining banquette overlooks the backyard and the fireplace wall opens up to a covered porch with outdoor fireplace and views of both the backyard and side garden. This porch can be outfitted with removable glass or screen panels or with motorized screens.

Fish Creek Pond can be upgraded to include an attached or detached garage, with or without a second floor studio/bedroom(s).

1st Floor Plan: Fish Creek Pond is a compact home with big house space. Eight foot tall french doors and large 6′-6″ tall windows fill this home with natural light and encourage easy flow to outdoor rooms. Fish Creek Pond’s entry foyer is bathed in sunlight from a high window above the stair. From the entry, one proceeds into the large great room which is described in the previous section.

At the other end of the house, the back porch accesses the mudroom/laundry/bathroom zone which leads into a galley kitchen, conveniently located at the center of the home. The kitchen, in turn, connects back to the dining side of the great room. Not an inch of this efficient layout is wasted and the 9′-3″ ceilings, along with the oversized windows, give this small home a surprisingly spacious feel.

2nd Floor Plan: Fish Creek Pond has large windows and 8′-8″ ceilings throughout the second floor and any space can be made taller with a cathedral ceiling. The private master suite features views of the back garden, a master bath with shower, and a large dressing room with two windows. Two more bright bedrooms have walk-in closets and a shared bath with a bath tub.

Basement Plan: Fish Creek Pond is shown here with 455 square foot playroom with a wet bar, a billiards table, and optional fireplace. An exercise room and bathroom could also be added to the space. All full basements are outfitted with numerous full height windows, filling the space with natural light and making it feel anything but underground. Fish Creek Pond is shown with four large basement windows and additional windows are possible if more finished space is desired. A walk-out basement with french doors is also possible for sloping sites.